Field Hockey Canada LTHD

52 Pages·2017·7.51 MB·English

LONG TERM HOCKEY DEVELOPMENT
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Preface Table of Contents
Canadian Sport Policy reflects an approach to shared An Introduction 1
leadership and collaboration amongst all stakeholders Field Hockey: A Sport for Everyone 2
to achieve the goals of enhanced participation, Understanding Long-Term Development 3
excellence, capacity and interaction in sport. As a Current State of Canadian Field Hockey 5
result of this policy a new Canadian sport system has Ten Key Factors Behind LTHD 8
emerged. A sport system in which long term Training and Performance 11
development is the key element. Stages of LTHD 15
Active Start 16
FunStix 18
Learning to Train - Getting Hooked 20
Training to Train - The Fast and the Furious 22
Training to Compete - Tackling the Top 24
Training to Win - Push to the Podium 26
Hockey for Life 28
Para Field Hockey 30
Roles and Responsibilities 31
LTHD Implementation 32
Player Development 33
Coaching 36
Leadership 38
Competition 41
Facilities 43
Appendix - Skill Progression Pathway 44
Glossary of Terms 46
Acknowledgements 48
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LONG TERM HOCKEY DEVELOPMENT
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AN INTRODUCTION
An Introduction
Children who enjoy playing field hockey from a
young age will be healthy and more likely to
continue in life long physical activity. In addition, if
they are well trained and have access to an
appropriate development pathway, more of them will
reach elite playing levels that enable our National
Teams to qualify and compete consistently at World
Cups and Olympic Games. Long-Term Hockey
Development (LTHD) addresses the important role
that field hockey has in promoting wellness and also
provides an athlete development pathway for World
Cup and Olympic success.
FHC wants to increase the number of Canadians
participating in our sport across the country. We also want to improve our National Men’s and Women’s
Teams’ world rankings. The paths to achieving these goals are complex. While we can take elements of what
has worked for us in the past, we will still need to take a different strategic approach then the one we have had
for the past 20 years.
Led by the LTHD expert panel and technical leaders, FHC has identified many of the challenges facing field
hockey and laid out a vision and general course for implementation. The pathway involves shared leadership
and cooperation from the local coach to the international governing body.
This document is just the start of a growing number of resources to aid in achieving the LTHD vision. To better
adapt to the ongoing evolution of our sport and provide practical tools to our vast array of stakeholders (coaches,
umpires, parents, volunteers, etc.) FHC has created an interactive website designed specifically for our members
to explore LTHD. This resource, among others, is available to download and will be updated from time to time.
Please continue to visit us at www.lthd.fieldhockey.ca for the latest LTHD information.
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FIELD HOCKEY: A SPORT FOR EVERYONE
Field Hockey: A Sport for Everyone
The origins of field hockey can be traced back to the
earliest civilizations of the world, but the modern
game was developed in England during the
nineteenth century. Many rules and concepts
changed during the early years as the game spread
throughout the British Empire. From these origins
sprung not only the formidable field hockey nations
of India, Pakistan and Australia, but the
development of the game in over 100 countries.
While the game developed across the globe during
this time, so too did field hockey in Canada. Both
men’s and women’s field hockey was established
and flourishing in British Columbia before the end of
the nineteenth century. Records show that as early as 1896 clubs in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island were
enjoying regular competitions. In the early twentieth century records show games being played by schools and
clubs in Calgary, Toronto, Halifax, and St. John’s.
Field hockey began to organize at a national level in 1961 with the creation of the Canadian Field Hockey
Association. The Canadian Women’s Field Hockey Association was formed a year later. In 1991 both the
men’s and women’s associations merged to become Field Hockey Canada (FHC). FHC has been the national
governing body responsible, in conjunction with our Provincial Associations, for the development of the game
ever since.
Today, the game of field hockey is played virtually everywhere in the world and is the second largest team sport
by participants after soccer. In Canada both the indoor and outdoor versions of field hockey remain a popular
family-oriented sport played in every province. The sport is played most abundantly by girls in the high school
system however male and female competitive and recreational leagues can be found in urban centres from coast
to coast.
The men’s and women’s national teams regularly compete in international competitions held around the globe.
Both genders have represented their country in major contests such as the World Cup, Commonwealth Games,
Pan American Games, and Olympics. At any given time throughout the year Canadian athletes, coaches,
officials, or volunteers can be found participating in their sport at various competitive levels in places such as
Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
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UNDERSTANDING LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT
Understanding Long-Term Development
LTAD and LTHD
The Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model
is a framework developed by the Canadian Sport
Centres providing an optimal training, competition,
and recovery schedule that respects and utilizes the
natural stages of physical, mental, and emotional
growth in athletes. This framework has been
adopted by major sports organizations in the United
Kingdom and Ireland.
Long-Term Hockey Development (LTHD) is FHC’s
field hockey-specific adaptation of the LTAD model.
It is athlete-centred, coach driven, and supported by
officials, administrators, and volunteers. As with the
LTAD, LTHD is designed to:
1.Promote lifelong enjoyment of physical activity
2.Provide a structured player development pathway
3.Describe best practices for elite player development
4.Create long-term excellence
Excellence and Sport for Life
Anecdotal evidence for a Field Hockey athlete suggests that it takes 15,000 touches of the ball for an athlete to
reach an elite level. Additionally, scientific research has demonstrated it takes eight to twelve years of training
for players to reach elite levels. This translates into a little more than three hours of daily practice for ten years.
(Balyi & Hamilton, 2003). This indicates the importance of long-term training for obtaining athletic excellence
and competitive results. It has also been suggested athlete training following logical, progressive development
pathways is linked to higher rates of lifelong recreational participation for individuals of all abilities.
Many field hockey coaches continue to train youth athletes in a manner that places emphasis on “fun” and
“retention” while others emphasize “winning” a match or “winning” the season championship. These
approaches are coach or parent-centred and are frequently neglectful of the long-term needs of the athletes.
Both of these types of outcomes are given more importance than skill development, performance, and
satisfaction. However it is the latter outcomes that can translate into higher levels of excellence and lifelong
commitment to training and participation.
To produce lifelong wellness and consistent international excellence, an athlete-centred integrated model of
player development is required. The model must respect the physical, mental, and emotional maturation of the
players.
Planned Excellence
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UNDERSTANDING LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT
The current system for Athlete Development emphasizes winning and competition rather than maximizing the
periods of accelerated adaptation to training and developing core field hockey skills. LTHD is based on general
findings that the greater the quality of player preparation, the greater the likelihood that players of all abilities will
remain active throughout their lifetimes, and the greater the likelihood that the performance peaks of those who
pursue excellence will be higher and maintained over a longer period.
Rushing into competition frequently results in technical, physical, tactical, psychological, and emotional
shortcomings that hinder performance. While premature competition actually detracts from performance and
achievement, progressive player development following balanced formula of training, competition, and recovery
tends to produce longer involvement in sport and higher achievement.
LTHD is designed to promote lifelong wellness for all field hockey participants and optimal performances for the
elite players, particularly in the growth and development years when performances can become unstable and
lead to dropout.
LTHD encourages athletes to enjoy the game and improve their performances through:
Logical and integrated training and practice programs;
Application of scientific principles in growth, development and maturation;
Provision of an optimal structure for competition at stages of LTHD;
Identification of stakeholder roles in the implementation of the support systems of athlete development (ie.
Coaching, officiating).
Public Perception
Field Hockey has an important role to play in the larger sport culture of our country. There is an intrinsic value in
having our elite athletes represent Canada on the international stage. When Canadians watch the Olympic
Games or any other major world sporting event, we cheer our athletes and are proud to see our nation
competing among the best in the world.
Field Hockey is no exception in this regard. Canada excels to be among the top nations in this sport making our
athletes a source of our national pride, dreams, and expectations. Canadians of all ages want to see their
national teams compete and succeed at the international level. The LTHD pathway is designed to achieve this
goal.
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CURRENT STATE OF CANADIAN FIELD HOCKEY
Current State of Canadian Field Hockey
LTHD can provide solutions to many of the
challenges facing Canadian field hockey. However
before we look for answers, we need to have a clear
understanding of where we are and a vision of
where to go.
Canada has a significant number of junior athletes
participating in field hockey. However participation
quickly diminishes in late adolescence. From an
excellence perspective these diminishing numbers
are a factor contributing to our lack of sustained
international success. From a sport for life
perspective, our inability to promote lifelong wellness
through field hockey post-adolescence contributes to
ongoing gaps in coach, official, and volunteer
recruitment, as well as the basic health of all Canadians.
System Issues
Canada needs an integrated model for promoting elite achievement through field hockey. In this regard, there
are several issues of concern field hockey shares with other sports in Canada:
Young players over-compete and under-train
Young players often follow adult training and competition schedules
Young female players often follow programs designed for males
Training/practice in the development years often focuses on winning and not development (short term
results versus long-term process)
Chronological age influences coaching and selection rather than biological age (physical maturation)
Poor programs between the ages of 6-16 result in athletes never reaching their genetic potential
The “best” coaches are encouraged to work at elite levels – they are not recognized as essential to the
success of developmental programs in novice groups
Coach education tends to provide only a superficial understanding of the growth, maturation and
development stages of young players
There is no integration between physical education programs in the school system, community recreational
programs, and elite competitive programs.
Most Canadians are not instructed in the fundamental movement skills at an early age. Instead, young athletes
find that much of their training comes in the form of competitive games in a “win at all costs” environment. This
omission in basic athletic preparation is a key failure preventing athletes in all sports from developing their full
genetic potential.
Due to shortcomings in coach education, many coaches are not aware this approach fails to utilize windows of
“trainability” for developing certain qualities and skills. Unfortunately the deficits players develop can never be
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CURRENT STATE OF CANADIAN FIELD HOCKEY
fully remedied. As these young players progress through their playing careers, their lack of basic skill mastery
means that they are unable to play and enjoy field hockey to their full capacity. Consequently they fail to develop
the deeper satisfaction and appreciation of the game that would motivate them to remain lifelong participants or
inspire them towards long-term elite development.
LTHD offers to remedy this situation by providing a logical training, competition, and recovery model following
the natural windows of opportunity in each player’s physical, mental, and emotional development. To date, the
implementation of the LTAD-based programs in Canada and other countries indicates that the LTAD framework
upon which LTHD is based addresses these sport system shortcomings and significantly enhances the long-term
development of participants and athletes.
Challenges
To appreciate how LTHD can support the development of Canadian field hockey participants and lifelong
wellness, we first need to understand the challenges that currently face field hockey in this country. Canadian
field hockey faces a spectrum of difficulties in the long-term development of athletes in both lifelong wellness and
elite excellence. In this document these challenges have been broadly categorized under player development,
coaching, leadership, competition, and facilities.
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CURRENT STATE OF CANADIAN FIELD HOCKEY
International Standing
The National Women’s Team was very successful in the 1980’s and early 1990’s having competed in the
1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympic Games and achieving World number 2 ranking in 1983. Since that time we have
declined to 19th place (FIH Ranking March 2011).
The Men’s Team had a very successful period in the late 1990’s having been ranked in the top 8 in the world.
They are currently ranked 10th (FIH Ranking March 2011). The Men’s Team has competed in the 1984, 1988,
2000, 2008 Olympic Games.
Men’s Senior National Team Women’s Senior National Team
Year Event Result Year Event Result
1983 Pan American Games 1st 1983 World Cup 2nd
1984 Olympic Games 10th 1984 Olympic Games 5th
1986 World Cup 10th 1986 World Cup 3rd
1987 Pan American Games 1st 1987 Pan American Games 3rd
1988 Olympic Games 10th 1988 Olympic Games 6th
1990 World Cup 10th 1990 World Cup 10th
1991 Pan American Games 2nd 1991 Pan American Games 2nd
1992 Olympic Games DNQ 1992 Olympic Games 7th
1994 World Cup DNQ 1994 World Cup 10th
1995 Pan American Games 2nd 1995 Pan American Games 3rd
1996 Olympic Games DNQ 1999 Pan American Games 3rd
1998 World Cup 8th 2003 Pan American Games 5th
1999 Pan American Games 1st 2007 Pan American Games 5th
2000 Olympic Games 10th The women’s team has not qualified for a World
Cup or Olympic Games since 1994
2002 World Cup DNQ
2003 Pan American Games 2nd
2004 Olympic Games DNQ
2006 World Cup DNQ
2007 Pan American Games 1st
2008 Olympic Games 10th
2010 World Cup 11th
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TEN KEY FACTORS BEHIND LTHD
Ten Key Factors Behind LTHD
The LTHD model is built on the following research,
principles and tools.
1. The 10-year Rule
Scientific research has determined that it takes at
least 10 years and 10,000 hours of training for
athletes in any sport to reach elite performance
levels. While the LTHD model promotes basic
physical wellness for a broad range of field hockey
participants regardless of ability or disability, it has
also been designed to address the long-term needs
of players who pursue excellence for World Cup or
Olympic performance according to the 10-year rule.
2. The FUNdamentals
All sports are based on fundamental movement skills and sports skills. Basic movement skills include agility,
balance, and coordination, while basic sports skills include running, jumping, throwing, kicking, catching, and
dribbling. Research has demonstrated that children will achieve excellence in a broad variety of sports if they
are trained to be physically “literate” in these basic skills prior to their adolescent growth spurt, and they will also
be more likely to find satisfaction in lifelong physical activity.
3. Specialization
Some sports require “early specialization” to obtain elite performance levels, such as gymnastics and figure
skating, while other sports demonstrate better athlete performance through “late specialization,” such as team
sports. As a late specialization sport, field hockey relies on a variety of components in the overall sport system
(schools, recreation centres, other sports) to develop physical literacy during the FUNdamental stage, as well as
speed and suppleness training into adolescence. LTHD actively discourages early specialization in field hockey
(e.g. prior to the age of 10 years) since premature specialization contributes to imbalanced physical
development, overuse injuries, early burnout, and inadequate development of movement and sports skills.
4. Developmental Age
Everyone passes through the same stages of development from early childhood through adolescence, but the
timing, rate, and amount of their development varies. This is described as the difference between chronological
age and developmental age. Two children may be the same chronological age (e.g. 11 years old), but at the
same time they may be four to five years apart in developmental age. LTHD asks field hockey coaches and
administrators to take developmental age into account when they design programs and select players.
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